I thought I would bring your attention to something new and disturbing that happened to me recently when shipping a gun. I always want to ship a gun legally, which means NOT by USPS (although I know some people still do use them). So I dropped off my pistol at my FFL so they could ship to the buyer's FFL. They logged in the gun and finished wrapping the box I gave them along with padding to protect the pistol which was inside the original box, and a couple days later their UPS guy picked it up along with several other boxes going out by UPS that day. The FFL's CCTV shows all the boxes going out and my box was recognizable because it was an Optics Planet box. But the driver did not scan the label in the store, nor in his truck. I was told this is fairly common that they just drop everything off at the distribution center where it all gets scanned there.
HOWEVER, the label never got scanned and the box has gone missing. My FFL also had 2 other boxes in that same day's shipment arrive to the correct destination except they were EMPTY on arrival! (they were not guns but other merchandise). So now 3 weeks after the ship date there is still no sign of the box or gun and UPS has no idea as to what happened to it. My FFL has had to file a claim for insurance to UPS, as well as a police report and ATF report on the missing pistol. My FFL has reimbursed me for the gun and of course, my buyer is disappointed that he won't get the gun he had wanted. The buyer is not out any money because he didn't pay me, having never received the gun.
So someone inside the distribution center (or the driver) has their eye out for items from FFLs so they can be stolen before they get scanned and tracked. I know that UPS laid off 12,000 workers last year and perhaps they have a lot of disgruntled employees left over now. If UPS can't be trusted, and FedEx is too costly, then our options for legally shipping guns to FFLs or private parties is now severely compromised.
Therefore a lesson from this is to somehow personally watch the item get scanned at UPS and/or use FedEx, or dare I say use USPS, and face the consequences.
Be careful out there, gentlemen.
HOWEVER, the label never got scanned and the box has gone missing. My FFL also had 2 other boxes in that same day's shipment arrive to the correct destination except they were EMPTY on arrival! (they were not guns but other merchandise). So now 3 weeks after the ship date there is still no sign of the box or gun and UPS has no idea as to what happened to it. My FFL has had to file a claim for insurance to UPS, as well as a police report and ATF report on the missing pistol. My FFL has reimbursed me for the gun and of course, my buyer is disappointed that he won't get the gun he had wanted. The buyer is not out any money because he didn't pay me, having never received the gun.
So someone inside the distribution center (or the driver) has their eye out for items from FFLs so they can be stolen before they get scanned and tracked. I know that UPS laid off 12,000 workers last year and perhaps they have a lot of disgruntled employees left over now. If UPS can't be trusted, and FedEx is too costly, then our options for legally shipping guns to FFLs or private parties is now severely compromised.
Therefore a lesson from this is to somehow personally watch the item get scanned at UPS and/or use FedEx, or dare I say use USPS, and face the consequences.
Be careful out there, gentlemen.
...Ben
).
, is arriving today. Not too bad…so far.
